A quick-start guide to raising your very own canine detective.
Does your dog love to sniff?
Do you have a dog that needs to work their brain, or one who’s constantly nose-to-the-ground following the trail of yesterday’s squirrel? Are they obsessed with finding their ball, food, or favourite toy?
Well, you’re in luck; because you’ve already got the makings of a canine detective! This blog covers how to start Scentwork with your dog, even if you haven't tried it before, that's the beauty of scentwork, all dogs have this amazing super power!
Scentwork taps into your dog’s incredible nose and natural curiosity. It’s fun, it’s mentally enriching, and it’s a brilliant way to deepen your bond; all while giving your dog a job they’ll actually love doing.
Whether you’ve got a super energetic pup who would thrive with some confidence-building sniff puzzles, or an older dog who’d enjoy a bit of sleuthing to keep their mind sharp, scentwork offers something for everyone. It’s low-impact, high-reward, and completely addictive (in a good way).
So, what is scentwork?
In a nutshell, scentwork for pet dogs is all about teaching your dog to find a specific odour and clearly signal when they’ve found it. While our focus is on training pet dogs for fun and enrichment, the techniques are inspired by those used with professional detection dogs; like those working in medical alert, explosive detection, or sniffing out contraband at airports.
The magic of scentwork is that it’s completely adaptable for pet dogs of all breeds, ages, and experience levels. It taps into their natural talent for using their nose; something they’ve been doing since puppyhood (often in the most inconvenient places!)
With a bit of structure and the right motivation (hello sossige or favourite toy!) you can turn everyday sniffing into a fun, rewarding activity that builds confidence, and connection between you and your dog.
So, what should my dog be sniffing? Well anything really, as long as they are keen to search for it! Often we simply start with food searches, mainly because our dogs are hard wired to find food, the trick is to make sure we hide the food, so our dogs use their awesome nose powers and not eyes.
But what odours do we use in scent detection for pet dogs?
There are a variety of odours used in scentwork; commonly used in UK scentwork organisations are Kong, Clove, Gun Oil, and Truffle Oil. And no, you don’t need to be a pro trainer or own a garage full of equipment. With the right setup (hint: we know just the kit), you can start right from your living room!
Not sure which scent to choose? Have a peek at our blogs on Kong as a scent and Gun Oil for scentwork to help you decide ( links at the end of the blog..) or if you are researching scentwork organisations, check out what odour they use.
From there, it’s all about creating a strong association between your chosen odour and a reward; then building your dog’s ability to search for it, indicate its location, and become a bona fide sniffer superstar.
The quote below really resonates with me: it captures the essence of why scentwork is so special. It’s one of the few activities where the dog gets to take the lead and truly shine.
“These are all things we ask the dog to do for us. And with nose work, the dog is doing it for themselves, with us tagging along. They get to be the experts and what I see is that it is pure magic for them, they love it so much.”
A Quick Scentwork Training Guide - How to get Started with Scentwork
Now that you know what scentwork is and why it’s such a brilliant activity for dogs, it’s time to give it a go. The steps below are designed to guide you through the early stages, from introducing your dog to a new scent to building enthusiasm and a simple scentwork game!
Step 1. Create interest in the Target Odour
To begin, you’ll need a container to hold your scent. This could be something as simple as a plant pot, a cardboard box, a plastic bowl, or even a bit of pipe. What’s important is that your dog can safely sniff around it, and that it allows scent to escape if you're using a lid. If you’re using a proper scentwork pot or a vented tin, even better — these are purpose-built to let odour out while keeping the source contained.
Place your odour source, such as a Red Kong chunk or a magnetic tin containing a cotton bud/Q-tip that’s been permeated with scent inside the container. Then pop the container on the ground in a quiet, distraction-free space where your dog can explore at their own pace.
As soon as your dog shows interest - whether by turning toward the container or sniffing it directly, mark the moment with a cheerful “Yes!” or a clicker. We’re rewarding curiosity here, planting the seed that the target odour has high value.
Step 2. Pair the Scent with Something Fantastic
Now it’s time to make that odour mean something to your dog. This step is all about creating a strong, positive association, and to do that, we need to know what truly motivates your dog.
That might be high-value food (think cheese cubes, hot dog slices, or smelly sprats) or perhaps a favourite toy, a squeaky ball or tug. Whatever it is, it should be something your dog genuinely loves; the kind of reward that makes their eyes go cartoon-wide with joy.
Every time your dog sniffs the container with the odour, mark that behaviour immediately with a clicker or a marker word like "Yes!" and then deliver the reward. Keep your timing sharp; we want your dog to clearly connect sniffing the odour with earning something amazing.
Reward placement matters too. Drop the treat right next to the container containing the odour, this helps reinforce the idea that the reward comes from the scent.
Keep your energy upbeat and sessions short — around 3 to 5 minutes — so your dog stays engaged and finishes on a high.
So in summary:
🐾Sniffing the target odour = good things happen. And boom; that’s your foundation 🐾
When your dog is eagerly sniffing out the container every time it’s presented, tail wagging, eyes bright — then you’re ready to move on to the next step: scent discrimination.
Trainer Tip:🐶
To prepare your odour hides, pop several drops of odour, such as Gun Oil or Truffle Oil - onto a cotton pad or square of fabric and place it inside a sealed container, like a Kilner jar. The cotton pad is your source odour. Add clean cotton filters or Q-tips to the same jar. These are your "soaks" Over 24 to 48 hours, the odour will naturally transfer to these items, which then become your ready-to-use scent hides. Simply pop a couple of these permeated cotton filters/Q-tips into your small scent tin and you are good to go!
Step 3. A Game of Choice
Now you are ready for the Game of Choice! This scent discriminaton game really gets your dog sniffing! We offer the dogs a choice, two similar containers that both smell the same, wood, cardboard, or plastic... but one contains your odour!
So how do we set the scene for the Game of Choice?
Simply set out two identical containers; about 18 inches apart, one with odour, one empty; and let your dog explore both. When they linger on or return to the container with the odour, mark the behaviour and reward.
This teaches your dog to discriminate between scented and unscented items, which is a key skill in scentwork. Once they’re consistently choosing the correct pot, you can start to increase the difficulty: add more containers, change their positions, or even hide the target scent in trickier spots.
Just be mindful not to progress too quickly. Each time you change the environment, drop the difficulty level a little to help your dog adjust. That said, it’s a great idea to vary your training locations, as this helps build your dog’s super sleuthing skills and boosts their confidence too!
🐶Check out Woody below, playing the game of choice, he is clearly focussed on the pot containing the odour, did you spot the treats being delivered? 🐶
A game of choice with 2 pots - video with Woody
Getting started with Scentwork with our kit..
Ready to explore the world of scentwork with your dog? Not sure where to start? Our Starter Scentwork Kit makes it easy to begin rewarding, confidence-boosting training from home. It’s everything you need to start introducing odours and building the basics of search and indication.
Summary
Scentwork is a simple, rewarding way to tap into your dog’s natural instincts while building confidence, contentment, and a stronger bond between you. Whether you’ve got pup full of energy or a golden oldie, this blog breaks down how to get started with clear, easy steps and guidance. It’s all part of The Sniffer Shop’s mission to bring nosejoy to all dogs.
Happy Sniffing!
from Kate and the team
Further Reading..
🐶Exploring the use of Red Kong in Scentwork/blogs/the-sniffer-dog-blog/exploring-the-use-of-red-kong-in-scentwork
🐾 How to prepare gun oil soaks for scentwork/blogs/the-sniffer-dog-blog/preparing-gunoil-soaks-for-scentwork
The Author: Kate Hart
Kate Hart is a Gold Level UK Sniffer Dog Instructor, IMDT accredited trainer and the founder of The Sniffer Shop. She juggles a busy life teaching scentwork, running the shop, and keeping six enthusiastic Labradors mostly out of mischief! Her passion is making scentwork simple, fun, and accessible for all dogs.🐶
